MOSCOW, October 17. /TASS/. Russia is not going to leave the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation even though Moscow sees some recent moves by fellow member US as obnoxious, Kirill Barsky, head of the Diplomacy Department of Moscow State Institute of International Relations, said in an interview with the International Affairs magazine.
He said it is "extraordinary" that the US refused to invite some heads of economies that are the group’s members, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee, to attend the next APEC summit.
"This once again casts the US as an irresponsible player," he said. "This approach of Washington, as our officials say, will certainly be taken into account when deciding on the level of Russia's representation at the APEC summit in San Francisco. But why withdraw from APEC, slamming the door behind ourselves, over the whims of one economy, which in a few months’ time will hand over the group’s presidency to our friend Peru? We don’t care much enough to react to such obnoxiousness. I personally consider it beneath our dignity."
The analyst said that in 2021, when the US needed Russia's consent "to preside over APEC, they literally begged Russian diplomats not to obstruct it, because for the US to be denied the right to lead this authoritative forum would be a sensitive blow, a loss of face."
"Then, the Russian side made Washington promise to 'responsibly fulfill the duties of the presidency and ensure full participation of delegations from all APEC economies in the forum's events in the US' - of course, taking into account US domestic legislation," he said.
The analyst said the US in August of this year "fully demonstrated its inability to keep its word."
"As part of the third series of meetings of senior officials of the forum, representatives of several Russian agencies could not get to attend the meetings. Some delegates did not receive visas at all, and in some cases entry permits were issued during or after the main meetings," Barsky stated.
APEC is scheduled to hold its next summit in San Francisco in November.